Recipes

Wholesome Homemade Baby Foods

 

Wholesome Rice Cereal

1/4 cup (around 1 oz) brown rice powder
8 fl oz (1 cup) water
a little formula/breast milk

Bring the water to a boil.

Add the rice powder, stirring constantly with a wire whisk.

Reduce the heat to very low and simmer gently for about 10 minutes (don't forget to keep stirring, or the rice will stick).

Then stir in enough formula or breastmilk to give the consistency that's best for your baby.

Once baby has been introduced to fruit, you could always add a little of his favourite puree.

Sweet Potato Puree

Preheat the oven to 375 deg F or 190 deg C.
Simply take one large sweet potato. Scrub it and prick it with a fork.
Bake for about 45 mins or so (depending on the size), until it feels soft.
Once cooked, all you need to do is split the potato and scrape out the flesh with a spoon. Hey presto - instant baby food, which doesn't even need pureeing! Just mash it lightly with a fork and you're ready to go.
One large potato will give you about 3 or 4 portions at this early stage. Bake a few at a time and you've got a fortnight's supply!

Alternatively... you could peel the potato, then boil or steam it in cubes. But really, what's the point in giving yourself extra work when baking it in its skin is so much easier?

 Butternut Squash

Another simple-to-prepare vegetable, with a taste that babies love. You could also use acorn squash.

Preheat the oven to 400 deg F or 200 deg C.
Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds.
Place the squash in a baking tin, face down in about one inch of water.
Bake for about 40 mins. Keep an eye on the water in the pan - add a little more if necessary.
The squash is done when it feels soft. Remove the flesh from the skin and either puree it, or mash it lightly with a fork.

Carrots

One of the most popular first solid foods for baby - and possibly the cheapest! It makes you wonder why people are prepared to pay so much for jars of prepared foods, when you see how economical these are to prepare at home!

Choose large, older carrots - these are actually richer in nutrients than baby carrots. Just trim the ends and slice. Then steam, boil or microwave and puree to perfection!

Zucchini

Zucchini purees to a very thin, almost watery consistency. Introduce them on their own at first (as per the four day rule), then mix them with other vegetables that may otherwise be a little too "stodgy" in texture.

Simply wash the zucchini, remove both ends, then slice. You can boil in a very little water, steam or microwave them until tender, then puree them as usual.

Asparagus

Green asparagus is better for your baby than white because it is higher in calcium, protein and B vitamins.

A real treat for baby - and easy to prepare - just remove the woody stems by bending each spear until it snaps - it should snap at the point where the fresh green tip ends and the tougher part begins.

After washing the tips, tie them in a bundle to steam them - (there are special asparagus steamers designed for the purpose!). Alternatively, boil them in a little water for 5-7 minutes.

Finally, puree or mash the asparagus tips as desired.

Easy Veggie Meal

cooked brown rice
broccoli
carrots
green beans
squash

Use the quantities of each vegetable that best suit your baby's preferences - this can be a good way of getting him to eat a vegetable that he has previously refused! Prepare the vegetables, then steam them. Start the carrots off first, then the squash, as they take the longest to cook. Once cooked, mix the vegetables with the rice, then puree to the desired consistency, adding a little breast milk or formula if necessary.

Banana

Most babies just LOVE bananas, perhaps the most nutritious of all the fruits. The taste, texture and ease of preparation makes them ideal for baby's first food.

The method of preparation is so simple, there is no method - just mash a ripe banana and baby's meal is ready!

For very young babies, you can add a little formula or breast milk for a runnier consistency.

Peaches and Plums

Plums, peaches and nectarines can all be prepared in the same way... Wash the fruit well, then cut an "x" into the side of the skin. Place the fruit, "x" side down, into about an inch of water and simmer until soft. It is then easy to remove the skin and stone, ready for pureeing.

Apples

Take a sweet dessert apple, then peel it, core it and cut it into quarters.

Steam the chunks, or slice very thinly and simmer gently with about 1 tbsp of water, until soft.

You can puree apple very easily by passing it through a sieve or fine strainer.

Pears

Pears can be peeled, cored and prepared like apples (above), although very ripe pears can be pureed without cooking for babies from 6 months of age.

Like apples, pears can sometimes be very runny in texture once pureed. So, after you have safely introduced them to your baby, try using them in combination with another fruit ... or vegetable!

Melon

Cool cantaloupes, wonderful watermelons... they're perfectly sweet and juicy and your baby will love them!

You don't need to cook melon - just puree it and serve for a refreshing treat!

Avocado

Avocado pear is highly nutritious, creamy in texture and a perfect baby food. Choose a ripe avocado, then simply peel and remove the stone. You can then mash the fruit with a fork - the consistency is similar to banana, so you won't need to puree it any further.

Easy Chicken and Veggies

2oz (1/4 cup) chicken, cut into small pieces
1 small carrot, peeled and diced
2oz (1/4 cup) broccoli florets
homemade chicken stock or water

Put all ingredients into a saucepan and just cover with the stock/broth.
Simmer gently until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Drain (reserving the broth) and puree in a food processor, adding back a little of the reserved cooking broth to create a thinner texture if necessary.

Perfect Pork Puree

4oz (1/2 cup) lean pork
4oz (1/2 cup) sweet potato, peeled and diced
1/2 small apple, peeled, cored and diced
6 fl oz (3/4 cup) homemade chicken stock, apple juice or water
pinch dried sage.

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the pork is cooked and the sweet potato/apple are tender.
Blend in a food processor and serve.

Chicken Baby Food Recipes - Warming Chicken Stew

8 oz (1 cup) boneless, cooked chicken, chopped
2 oz (1/4 cup) cooked vegetables (choose the vegetables your baby prefers)
2 oz (1/4 cup) cooked rice (white or brown)
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) homemade chicken stock
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) breast milk/formula
pinch of thyme

Simply blend all ingredients together, pureeing if necessary, for a wholesome, tasty stew.

Personal Pizzas!

Great for picky eaters!They get exactly what they want and will love making them themselves!

Set them up with pizza dough and all kinds of toppings, and stand aside while they create self-serve solutions

What You'll Need:

• Pizza crust
• Pizza sauce
• Shredded mozzarella cheese 
• Bite-size and shredded toppings (pepperoni, peppers, mushrooms, pineapple, bacon etc)
• Round or rectangular pans (optional)

Here We Go! 

• Preheat your over to 350-375 degrees F
• Roll out the dough and separate into equal sections
• Let your kids go wild and add whatever toppings they want. Just make sure they don't put on too much otherwise the dough gets soggy.... Yuck!
• Place the mini pizzas evenly on a baking sheet
• Bake them for 12-18 minutes until the crust is nice and golden and crispy and the cheese is nice and melty! 
• Let them cool for a few minutes before you let your little monkeys get their hands on them